MonoKrom - QtPyVCP GUI for PlasmaC and Mill

I'm not really convinced plasma is a good candidate for a USB camera. The maximum USB cable length is about 5.0 metres in the spec and I have first hand experience with failed USB links around that length (After I had cut the end off and passed it through the firewall of a vehicle.... then I had to rework it to add a powered hub under the dash, cut the end off and redo it! powering a 5V hub in a 12v vehicle is not fun!)

I found a premade 5.0m serial cable was not long enough to reach my Z axis control box on a 1200 x 1200 mm table.

So how would you go with a 1200 x 2400 or 1500 x 3000mm table?

Sure you can get USB extenders, I just saw an ethernet cable extender that cost AUD $629. You can get active cables often used in photo studios.

The other thing is that we do not need pixel peeping accuracy because good enough is near enough because a sheet of steel is typically slightly oversize.

A button for a laser pointer touch off is more practical I think.

rodw wrote:

I'm not really convinced plasma is a good candidate for a USB camera. The maximum USB cable length is about 5.0 metres in the spec and I have first hand experience with failed USB links around that length (After I had cut the end off and passed it through the firewall of a vehicle.... then I had to rework it to add a powered hub under the dash, cut the end off and redo it! powering a 5V hub in a 12v vehicle is not fun!)

I found a premade 5.0m serial cable was not long enough to reach my Z axis control box on a 1200 x 1200 mm table.

So how would you go with a 1200 x 2400 or 1500 x 3000mm table?

Sure you can get USB extenders, I just saw an ethernet cable extender that cost AUD $629. You can get active cables often used in photo studios.

The other thing is that we do not need pixel peeping accuracy because good enough is near enough because a sheet of steel is typically slightly oversize.

A button for a laser pointer touch off is more practical I think.

Powered USB usbs are cheapest to buy.
Simplest soution is power Use
5V regulator LM7805 with any 12v power supply is the cheapest option,
moreover you can use copletely separate USB charging adapter.
If phill's plugin is working correctly. Would be great to have.
Otherwise just a black screen.

Now if we could use python to use the opencv edge and corner finding functions, and touch off right on the home corner and align the sheet, then there would be reasons not to have a blank screen....

rodw wrote:

Now if we could use python to use the opencv edge and corner finding functions, and touch off right on the home corner and align the sheet, then there would be reasons not to have a blank screen....

That's what @phillc54 did on his thread

forum.linuxcnc.org/plasmac/40057-camera-for-touchoff

moreover, cheap cctv POE cameras can be made to work.

Rod, we already have a camera opencv widget with edge detection in QtPyVCP!

pinder wrote:

forum.linuxcnc.org/plasmac/40057-camera-for-touchoff

No thats what Phill didn't do. Currently opencv is used to apply come crosshairs and align the sheet when you press on some buttons. Honestly, linuxcnc has been able to do that for years... pre opencv. When you read what opencv is capable of, it should be able to automate the whole process and optionally map the sheet. I don't think its hard, just no one's thought of it.

A sample splash is attached.
Changes can be made if some users want.
Users should have the option (somewhere as config file, but not in GUI itself) to change Name and Logo

It would be nice to give credit to linuxcnc and plasmac in the splash screen. Does plasmac have a logo?